For today, links to eleven reports: from the Cradle, Reuters, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Middle East Monitor, and to commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (IRAN 6-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Iran’s parliament passes vote to halt cooperation with IAEA. From the Cradle. The Iranian parliament today voted to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, after a 12-day Israeli war which Tehran says the UN nuclear agency paved the way for. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters, and HERE for June 24 report from the Cradle.

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UN nuclear chief says it’s possible Iran’s highly enriched uranium ‘is there.’ From Reuters. VIENNA — There is a chance that much of Iran’s highly enriched uranium survived Israeli and U.S. attacks because it may have been moved by Tehran soon after the first strikes, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said today. Israel repeatedly . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘High-profile’ Israeli military, intelligence sites hit by Iranian missiles: report. From the Cradle.  Iran’s 22 waves of ballistic missile and drone attacks against Israel targeted and directly struck several highly sensitive Israeli military sites, as well as technological and energy infrastructure, Tehran Times reported on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 24  A shaky ceasefire emerges between Israel and Iran. Reported by Aya Batrawy | NPR  Over the last two weeks, there has been some support for Israel’s attacks on Iran from Gulf Arab states. There are also fears that Israel wants to fashion a new Middle East in its own image. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM JUNE 24  A whirlwind 48 hours: How Trump’s Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement came together, by Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak | AP WASHINGTON — In a 48-hour whirlwind, President Trump veered from elated to indignant to triumphant as his fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement came together, teetered toward collapse and ultimately coalesced. As he worked to seal the deal . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 24  Early U.S. intelligence report suggests U.S. strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months, by Michelle L. Price, Mary Clare Jalonick, Stepanie Liechtenstein, and Sam McNeil | AP  WASHINGTON — A report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday suggests that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months after U.S. strikes and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as President Trump has said, according to . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Middle East Monitor.

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Six things to know about Iran’s supreme leader. Reported by Steve Inskeep| NPR  Some key facts about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, based on past reporting on his very long career, along with fresh analysis from this week. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM JUNE 24  What Iran achieved during the conflict with Israel, by Rayhan Uddin | Middle East Eye  After an 11th hour exchange of fire, and a sweary address to reporters from Donald Trump, Israel and Iran have ceased hostilities. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to four reports: from the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, Tass, and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on ther names below. (UKRAINE 6-24-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Zelensky, Trump talk on NATO summit sidelines, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump for a reported 50 minutes at the NATO summit in The Hague today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

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Russia says battlegroup East destroyed up to 190 Ukrainian soldiers, 3 Starlink stations. From Tass. MOSCOW — Fighters of the battlegroup East destroyed up to 190 Ukrainian servicemen, 3 Starlink satellite communication stations and an ammunition depot over the past day, according to Alexey Yakovlev, spokesman for the battlegroup. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 24  Ukraine says Russian drone attack kills boy, two adults in Sumy. From Reuters. A Russian drone attack on a village in the Sumy area overnight killed an 8-year-old boy and two adults and injured another three people, the military administration of the region in northeast Ukraine said early on Tuesday. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to reports from Anadolu Agency and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 6-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and IRAN entries for today, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Israeli forces kill at least 50 more Gazans, including many seeking to reach food, by Ramzi Mahmoud and Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL  At least 50 civilians, most of them people trying to reach food, were killed, and over 200 others injured in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip today, medics said. READ MORE . . .

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Harvard study finds Israel ‘disappeared’ nearly 400,000 Palestinians in Gaza, half of them children: report. From the Cradle.  A new report published by the Harvard database reveals that Israel has “disappeared” at least 377,000 Palestinians since the start of its genocidal campaign against the Gaza Strip in 2023 — half of them believed to be children. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Anadolu Agency; and to four articles of commentary; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their sources’ names or initials below. NOTE: Much of today’s NPR Morning Edition coverage related to the Israel-Iran war was soon out of date and is not linked to. (IRAN 6-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and GAZA entries for today, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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NEWER  New Israeli strikes reported by media despite Trump’s command to stop. From Reuters. Iranian and Israeli media reported new Israeli airstrikes on Iran today, despite U.S. President Donald Trump having said Israel had called them off at his command to preserve an hours-old ceasefire. READ MORE . . .

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Israel accuses Iran of violating the ceasefire. Iranian military denies it. Updates from AP. President Donald Trump says that, in his view, both Iran and Israel violated a nascent ceasefire he announced earlier. READ MORE . . .

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Why limit Iranian enrichment peacefully when you can bomb them instead? by Joe Lauria | Consortium News  In the last great achievement of international diplomacy, the United States and its allies Britain, France and Germany, concluded a deal in 2015 with Russia and China — something that today would be unthinkable — to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment to purely civilian uses at 3.67 percent. READ MORE . . .

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War on Iran is fight for U.S. unipolar control of world, by Michael Hudson | Geopolitical Economy Report / ScheerPost  Opponents of the war with Iran say that the war is not in American interests, seeing that Iran does not pose any visible threat to the United States. This appeal to reason misses the neoconservative logic that has guided U.S. foreign policy for more than a half century and . . . READ MORE . . .

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The phantom ceasefire, by Craig Murray | CraigMurray.org.uk  You can never trust the Israelis – or indeed the Americans – with either a ceasefire or a negotiation. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for the author’s June 23 article, via Consortium News.

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Why limit Iranian enrichment peacefully when you can bomb them instead? by Joe Lauria | Consortium News  In the last great achievement of international diplomacy, the United States and its allies Britain, France and Germany, concluded a deal in 2015 with Russia and China — something that today would be unthinkable — to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment to purely civilian uses at 3.67 percent. READ MORE . . .

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Big questions loom over Trump’s announcement of Israel-Iran ceasefire deal, by Matt Spetalnick, Jeff Mason and Steve Holland | Reuters  Among the unanswered questions is whether any ceasefire can hold between two bitter foes whose years-long “shadow” conflict had erupted into an air war marked by the past 12 days of strikes on each other’s territory. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 23  French president says U.S. attacks on Iran have ‘no legal basis,‘ by Ilayda Cakirtekin | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reiterated that the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities lack any legitimate legal basis. He spoke in a joint news briefing in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 23  Trump says Israel and Iran agree to ‘complete and total ceasefire,’ edited by Bridget Brown, Curtis Yee, Cara Anna, Kiana Doyle, Carley Petesch and Nell Clark | AP  U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours. Iran’s foreign minister said Iran will stop its attacks if Israel stops its airstrikes by 4 a.m. Tuesday local time in Tehran. Israel did not immediately acknowledge . . .  Click HERE to read a report that is being updated, and HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Common Dreams.

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FROM JUNE 23  Iran launches missiles at U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation for American bombing, by David Rising, Jon Gambrell and Melanie Lidman | AP  DUBAI — Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites but indicating it was prepared to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region. The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Reuters.   

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FROM JUNE 23  Atomic agency gave diplomatic cover to war on Iran, by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies | Common Dreams / Consortium News  Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, allowed the IAEA to be used by the United States and Israel — an undeclared nuclear weapons state in long-term violation of IAEA rules — to manufacture a pretext for war on Iran, despite his agency’s own conclusion that Iran had no nuclear weapons program. READ MORE . . .

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‘Completely and totally obliterated,’ by Patrick Lawrence | Consortium News / ScheerPost  I have heard many unhinged speeches by American presidents over the years, but — no risk of exaggeration here — Donald Trump’s as he declared “a spectacular military success” after seven B–2 bombers attacked three nuclear sites in Iran Saturday night is the barmiest of my lifetime. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, the Kyiv Independent, and Tass; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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Russian attacks kill 18 civilians in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks more Western help, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russian drones, missiles and artillery killed at least 18 civilians and injured almost 200 others in Ukraine, officials said today, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought guarantees of further Western help for his country’s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE, HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters, AFP and the Kyiv Independent.

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Russian troops liberate Dyleyevka community in Donetsk region over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Dyleyevka in the Donetsk region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a broader statement. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 6-22-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN, UKRAINE and A PSALM entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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Dozens of civilians killed across Gaza as Israeli attacks target homes and aid seekers. From Middle East Eye. Wafa reported that Israeli forces killed at least 21 Palestinians and wounded dozens more today in a series of air strikes and shootings across the Gaza Strip, including areas where . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel creating chaos in Gaza as systematic colonial strategy, research finds. From Middle East Monitor. A research paper published by the Center for Political and Developmental Studies in Gaza concludes that the Israeli occupation is deliberately orchestrating chaos in the Gaza Strip as a strategic project that began with its withdrawal in 2005. READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to 24 reports: from the Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, the Cradle, Reuters, and National Public Radio; and to four articles of commentary: from Indian Punchline, Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, UKRAINE and A PSALM entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Israel targets Iran’s government and a notorious Tehran prison as Iran launches more attacks on Israel, by David Rising, Jon Gambrell and Melanie Lidman | AP  DUBAI — Israel hit Iranian government targets in Tehran today in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel in the wake of the Trump administration’s massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the day before. The Israeli military also . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

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Iran issues stark warning to ‘gambler’ Trump: We will end this war. From Reuters. Iran said today the U.S. attack on its nuclear sites expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces and called U.S. president Donald Trump a “gambler” for joining Israel’s military campaign against the Islamic Republic, and said the U.S. should expect . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says strikes on Iran an ‘unprovoked aggression’ without justification, by Burc Eruygur | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL— Russian President Vladimir Putin today described strikes against Iran as “absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran” with “no basis and no justification” — during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE and HERE for related reports from Anadolu, Reuters and the Cradle.

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Trump endorses ‘regime change’ in Iran a day after U.S. strikes nuclear sites. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called for a possible “regime change” in Iran — sparking immediate backlash and confusion within Washington, as senior officials . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israel seeks ‘quick end’ to war as heavy Iranian attacks pummel major cities: WSJ. From the Cradle. Israel is signaling an interest in concluding its war with Iran in the near future, according to Israeli and Arab officials who spoke with the Wall Street Journal. The effort comes after . . . READ MORE . . .

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NPR’s Morning Edition today had eight reports concerning the war on Iran. Click on each headline to listen and, later, read. Trump administration defends its strikes n three nuclear targets in Iran, by Deepa Shivaram and Michel Martin; Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, by Michel Martin; Voices from inside Iran, by Arezou Rezvani; Satellites show damage to Iran’s nuclear program, but experts say it’s not destroyed, by Geoff Brumfiel and Alyson Hurt; What are Iran’s nuclear capabilities after the strikes? by Michel Martin; Where does the conflict between Israel and Iran stand now? by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Michel Martin; The impact of U.S. strikes on Iran in the wider region, by Leila Fadel; Trump administration defends Iranian strikes as some lawmakers question its legality, by Stephen Fowler.

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FROM JUNE 22  The people at NPR’s All Things Considered turned over most of Sunday night’s program to the war on Iran. Click on each headline to listen and read. Details emerge about Operation Midnght Hammer, by Tom Bowman and Andrew Limbong; Iran’s leadership considers its next move, by Jane Arraf and Andrew Limbong; Iranians react to strikes on country’s nuclear facilities, by Jackie Northam; Reaction from Israel after U.S. bombing of Iran, by Hadeel Al-Shalchi; How politicians in the U.S. are reacting to the Iran strikes, by Stephen Fowler and Andrew Limbong; Iranian-American writer Kaveh Akbar reflects on art amid war, by Michaelle Aslam and Andrew Limbong; Iranian-Americans react to U.S. airstrike on Iran, by Steve Futterman; and What are the possible spillover effects of the U.S. strike on Iran, by Andrew Limbong.

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Middle East in crisis – 5, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and now deputy chairman of its Security Council, is one of the most authoritative voices at the Kremlin. Today he wrote on Telegram channel a 10-point critique on the Middle East crisis. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 22  How Israel and the U.S. ignited the Middle East nuclear crisis, by Peter Rodgers | Middle East Monitor  Israel and the United States, through aggressive policies and exaggerated narratives, have created a threat in the Middle East that did not previously exist. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for June 4 article by the author.

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FROM JUNE 22  After U.S. attack, Iran could reconsider its nuclear strategy, by Seyed Hossein Mousavian | Middle East Eye  Israel’s main objective was not about Iran’s nuclear programme. Since the early 1990s, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed each year that Iran would build a nuclear bomb within a year or two. This repeated lie . . . READ MORE . . .

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For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and Kyiv Post; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 6-20-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, IRAN and A PSALM entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

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Russian attacks on Ukraine kill at least 10 and injure dozens, by Justin Spike | AP  KYIV — Russian drones and missiles killed at least 10 civilians in Ukraine in nighttime attacks, local officials said today, with seven deaths reported in the capital, Kyiv, where emergency crews raced to find people believed trapped under the rubble of a partially collapsed apartment building. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Tass.

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NEWER  Russian missile strike on Odesa school kills 2, by Nick Pehlman | Kyiv Post  A Russian ballistic missile strike destroyed a school in Odesa’s Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district today. Students are currently on summer vacation, but at least two employees are reported dead and a dozen others injured. READ MORE . . .

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(GAZA, IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up. — MCM)

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Someone named Sarah Shipman suggested the other day that people read Verses 8 and 9 of Psalm 136 in the “Old Testament”: ”The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:  The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. “

So far, so good. The summer solstice was nigh.

The idea of the whole psalm is to give thanks to the beneficent Lord, the God of gods, for a list of things — including the heavens, the earth stretched out above the waters, the sun to rule the day, the moon and stars by night. Here, read through Verse 9:

136  ¹ O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁵ To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁶ To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ⁷ To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ⁸ The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The writer might have recognized the great wonder of fresh water rained down upon us, to drink and to cook with and bathe in and grow crops with the help of — which we earthlings, millenia later, are recognizing more and more. (Maybe did in another psalm.)

Then, abruptly, for the next 15 verses, he departs into other things to be grateful to the Lord for because his mercy endures for ever:

¹⁰ To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹² With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ¹³ To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ¹⁶ To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ¹⁷ To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁸ And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²¹ And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²² Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ²³ Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:  ²⁴ And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Finally, he returns as if 10 through 24 didn’t exist, to:  ²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.  ²⁶ O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I like the “all” part.

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Links to a report from the Cradle and to an article of commentary from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA 6-20-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN entry for this date is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 20  UNICEF warns of ‘man-made drought’ in Gaza as Israel razes vital infrastructure. From the Cradle. Gaza is facing a man-made drought as its water systems collapse under sustained Israeli bombardment, the United Nations Children’s Fund warned on Saturday, calling attention to catastrophic shortages in water, food, and medical access across the besieged enclave. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 19  How can Palestinian medics ‘cooperate’ with Israeli health bodies during a genocide? by Carlyn Zwarenstein | Middle East Eye  What is happening in Gaza today is a one-sided assault on its infrastructure and healthcare practitioners in more than 600 days of violence and terror enacted by one of the world’s most powerful armies against a trapped civilian population. READ MORE . . .

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